Trump promotes oil production in Texas, where Democrats dream of breakthrough
USO•Donald Trump promoted oil production and announced a proposal to roll back methane rules during Texas campaign stops, saying the changes would save $45 billion, unlock natural gas and produce 210 million barrels of oil. He also campaigned for Senate candidate Ken Paxton ahead of the November 3 elections.
1. Oil and campaign stops
Trump made two campaign stops in Texas as high fuel prices weighed on the November 3 congressional elections. At one stop, he appeared near a tanker he said carried the first Venezuelan oil received under a deal with Washington; at a later appearance in Lubbock, he announced an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to roll back Biden-era methane rules.
2. Proposed rule changes
Trump said terminating the regulations would save consumers and energy producers $45 billion, unlock Texas natural gas and produce 210 million barrels of oil. The proposal would provide relief to small, low-output wells, end a program that used outside groups to report large methane leaks, and ease rules aimed at phasing out routine gas flaring at oil wells, a White House official said.
3. Paxton campaign
Trump's Texas visit was his third this month to support Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who is in a close race with Democrat James Talarico. The article said polls showed Democrats may retake control of one or both houses of Congress, and that a Paxton loss could complicate Republicans' effort to retain their slim Senate majority.
